The Russian Federation’s Military Manual (1990) requires that commanders, in peacetime, “avoid deploying military objects in or near densely populated areas”.

Russian Federation, Instructions on the Application of the Rules of International Humanitarian Law by the Armed Forces of the USSR, Appendix to Order of the USSR Defence Minister No. 75, 1990, § 14(a).

The Russian Federation’s Regulations on the Application of IHL (2001) states: “To the greatest possible extent … the military command shall avoid deploying military objectives in densely populated areas or in their vicinity.”

Russian Federation, Regulations on the Application of International Humanitarian Law by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, Moscow, 8 August 2001, § 54.